April 22, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1429

NEW DELHI, April 21: While some cricketing greats have dubbed the Twenty20 and Indian Premier League (IPL) as a joke, legendry Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee has hailed shortest and richest version of game as “a fantastic concept.”

In Delhi as cricket advisor for Delhi Daredevils, the 58-year-old player said: “IPL and Twenty20 cricket for me is a fantastic concept. Twenty20 is a marketable prospect in cricket and with it's time frame which matches sports like other popular sports such as football, hockey, basketball, it can appeal to countries that don't usually follow cricket.

“In any sport, as new events come along, it helps in evolution of game and same is true to cricket. We had chucking controversies in the ’60s, Bodyline series before that and then World Series Cricket — all of which has helped in evolution of the game,” said Lillee. “There is a lot of travelling involved but the coaches have to device plans to rotate bowlers effectively early in the tournament.”

Commenting on the recent sledging row, he said: “There shouldn't be a complete curb on sledging. It should be up to the captain, coach and umpires to curb it.” —PPI